Lubricator.



J. L. ALLEN.

LUBRICATOR. APPLICATION FILED novlm, 1913.

1,1 17,542. Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

THE NORRIS PETERS CQ, PHOTO-LITHO WASHINGTON, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. ALLEN, OF MANVILLE, RHODE ISLAND.

LUBRICATVOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. ALLEN, a. citizen of the United States, and resident of Manville,'in the town of Lincoln, in the county of'Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and use-- cent to a conductor through which lubri-'" eating fluids, such as oil or the like is'adapted to pass, and to. provide a passageway between the two throughwhich a'p'ortion of the oil in its passage through thecond'uctor may enter the receptacle and equalize thepressure therein, and to force the graphitecontained in the receptacle through said passageway to be picked up by and-mixed with the flowing oil and be conducted therebyto the parts to be lubricated. 'A further object of'the inventionis to provide a valve in said receptacle adapted to close said passageway without interfering with the flow of oil through the conductor whereby when the receptacle'is being loaded or the cover removed for inspection or repairs, the fiow of oil to the parts'may continue uninterruptedly. 5

The invention further-consists in the provision of a mixing chamber communicating with the oil conductor to which the graphite may be carried and there thoroughly mixed Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'Nov. 17, 1914.

Application filed November 12, 1913. Serial No. 800,659.

of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Of the accompanying drawings: Figure.

1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating one method of connecting my improved lubricator to the main steam supply pipe of an engine. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of my improved lubricator. :3 is a plan view of my improved receptacle.

Referring to the drawing 10 designates the receptacle for containing tlienon-liquid lubricant suchas graphite,'or the like, the same being constructed in the form of a cup open at' its top and afcap 11 threaded therein, the capritself being-provided with a central opening, 12 i into which, a threaded plug 13 is fitted so-that may be greadily removed to ascertain when a recharging of thereceptacle isnecessary without removway 14 formed in a-boss 15 integral{ .with the side of the receptacleadjacentato the chamber, the axis of this channel beingsub= stantially parallel withthat of. .the. chamher. The upper end of this'boss; is threaded as at 16 to receivean oil conductor pipe or tube 17, and the lower endpj; the bossfis threaded as at lSinto whichgaicheck valve 19 of any suitable construction may be screwed through which the oil supply passes on its way to perform its lubricating function. .Adjacent the bottom 20 of the receptacle I have formeclathreaded opening 21 into the oil conducting channel 14,- and into this-opening I have screwed a plug 22 preferably'from the inside of the chamber, said plug having a central bore or hole'23 through it, the inner end of the plug being counterbored as-at 24; for the purpose of forming a thin wall about the aperture through which the graphite may be forced, to prevent as far as possible'this lubricant from forming into slugs which is apt to be the case where it is forced through an elongated narrow passageway. In order to control this opening 23 between the receptacle chamber and the conductor I have provideda valve 25 whose axis is preferably set at a right angle to that of the receptacle, the stem of the valve being arranged to pass through a bushing 26 which is screwed at 27 into the outer wall of the receptacle, said stem being threaded at 28 in said bushing and its outer end passing through a packing gland 29 therein, whereby when it is desired to close the opening it is only necessary to operate the hand wheel 30 and screw the valve to its seat in the plug 22, thus effectually closing the opening between the conductor and the receptacle chamber, and that without affecting or in any way interfering with the passage of the oil through said conductor.

In some instances it has been found of importance to provide a mixing chamber 31 connected to the oil conducting pipe or tube whereby if the graphite should become hardened or formed into lumps or slugs, as is sometimes the case Where the apparatus stands over night, it will be carried upward by the flow of oil through the conductor into this chamber where it is acted upon by the moving oil and agitated, rolled about, disintegrated or broken up by the action of the flowing oil, and when so disintegrated and thoroughly mixed with the oil it passes on to best perform its lubricating function as a compound without clogging the lubricating ducts or channels.

I have shown and described the conducting channel or passageway 14 as being formed in a boss integral with the receptacle 10, but while this is of structural advantage owing to the fact that the conductor should be placed close to the chamber, yet this construction is not necessary as the oil conductor may be of a continuous tube or pipe formed independent of the graphite receptacle, and connected thereto through any suitable pipe or opening as at 23.

In practicemy improved lubricator may be attached in any convenient manner to automatically mix graphite or other nonliquid lubricant with oil and supply this mixture to the parts to be lubricated. In Fig. 1 of the drawing I have shown the apparatus as connected to supply the combined oil and graphite to the main steam supply pipe 31 to an engine cylinder 32. In this device the oil is placed in the cup 33 and is forced, by means of the usual pump 34 actuated from the moving parts of the engine, through the oil conducting pipe 35 up past the graphite receptacle 10. The valve 25 to the graphite chamber is now opened and a very small portion of the oil, in traveling upward through its conductor, works its way in through the opening 23, and the body of graphite t0 the top or above the same, and so equalizes the pressure in this chamher whereby the gravity of the graphite causes it to settle and work slowly outward through this aperture where it is picked up by the flowing oil and carried on as a mixture into the main steam pipe 31.

By placing the opening at the lower end of the receptacle practically all the contents thereof may be forced out each time it is charged, and the quantity of the flow through this aperture may be nicely controlled and regulated by simply adjusting the valve 25. By my improved construction it will be seen that the oil conductor is wholly on the exterior of the graphite chamber and is so arranged that the communication between the graphite receptacle and the conductor may be shut off by the valve 25 whereby the cap of the graphite chamber may be removed, for inspection or repairs and filled or recharged with graphite as often as may be desired without in any way interfering or affecting the continuous flow of oil through the adjacent conductor to the parts to be lubricated.

The device is extremely simple and practical in construction and is found in practice to be eflicient, econom cal and reliable in its operation, and by its use the desired quantity of any non-liqu d lubricant mav be automatically mixed with the lubricating flu d.

I claim:

1. A lub icator compr s ng a rece tacle for containing a non-liqu d lub cant bodv, a cond ctor arranged parallel with the axis of said receptacle to conduct lionid l bric nt past the atter. and a conduit leading through the s de wa l of sa d receptacle and discharg ng into said conductor.

2. A lubricator compris ng a rece tacle for containing a non-liquid lubr cant bodv, a conductor arranged parallel with the axis of said receptacle to conduct liquid lubricant past the latter, and a conduit leading through the s de wall of sa d receptacle near the lower end thereof and discharg ng into said conductor, and a shut-ofi' valve controlling sa d conduit.

3. A lubricator compris ng a receptacle for containing a non-liquid lubricant body, a conductor arranged parallel with the axis of said receptacle to conduct liquid lubricant past the latter. and a conduit leading through the side wall of sa d receptacle and d scharging into said conductor, said conduit being counterbored to form a thinwalled aperture to pre ent the contents of the receptacle being discharged in lump form.

4. A lubricator comprising a receptacle for a non-liquid lubricant, a conductor for a lubricating fluid adjacent said receptacle, a mixing chamber communicating with said conductor, a passageway near the lower porreceptacle for closing said passageway without affecting the flow of oil through said tube, and a mixing chamber in said tube above said passageway.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN L. ALLEN.

tion of said receptacle leading therefrom into said conductor and a Valve for controlling said passageway.

5. A lubricator comprising a receptacle for graphite, an oil conducting tube located on the exterior of and adjacent to said receptacle, a passageway connecting said receptacle and tube located near the lower portion of the former through which the oil Witnesses: may enter to mix with the graphite and the HOWARD E. BARLOW, latter pass into the oil tube, a valve in said E. I. OGDEN.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

